Report on Matters relating to the Strategic Communications Unit & Project 2040
The purpose of the Review of the SCU:
-Review the objectives and functions of the Unit
-To examine the issues relating to the SCU & and specifically those relating to the communications campaign in respect of Project 2040
Background
The Review arises from a range of concerns raised both within the parliamentary processes and the media regarding the functioning of the Unit as well as specifically relating to the implementation of the information communications campaign relating to the launch of Project Ireland 2040 – National Planning Framework and National Development Plan.
This general review of the Unit has been undertaken at the behest of the Taoiseach and, in that context, will examine the specific concerns related to Project Ireland 2040.
Purpose of this Report
The purpose of this Report is to assist the Secretary General in his review by examining the following matters:-
- SCU Functions / Governance /Transparency / Accountability
- Project 2040 specific concerns regarding: Breach of the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour / Standards in Public Office.
______
Elizabeth Canavan
Assistant Secretary General
Corporate Affairs Division
26th March 2018
Establishment and Functions of the Strategic Communications
The Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) was established by way of Government decision in September 2017. The SCU was established in order to improve the information flow to the citizen regarding services, benefits, entitlements of citizens, and the work of Government, in line with international best practice. The unit is operating across three work streams:
A.Streamlining communications for citizens
B.Developing and delivering major cross-Government communication campaigns
C.Improving communications capacity across Government
Across all of its workstreams, the unit is basing its work on international best practice, especially on similar initiatives undertaken in a number of countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia, Canada and New Zealand. The team have travelled to meet their civil service counterparts in the UK and The Netherlands to understand in detail how their respective central communications team operates.
Its establishment was also seen as an opportunity to drive implementation of Action 4 from Our Public Service 2020 i.e. to significantly improve communications and engagementwith the public.
Structure, Numbers and Recruitment
Structure of the SCU
The unit is organised around the five areas of work, namely, Research and Insight, Content Development, Digital Platforms, Campaign Management, and Continuous Professional Development. The team is overseen by a Principal Officer who reports to a Director. The Director reports to the Secretary General.
Recruitment & Numbers
The Director of the Unit was seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from Fáilte Ireland and remains an employee of Fáilte Ireland (serving at a grade equivalent to the civil service grade of Assistant Secretary). He was previously seconded to the (then) Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht as Director of Ireland 2016.
On establishment of the Unit, all staff in the Government Information Service (GIS) and staff working on communications and other projects in the Department of the Taoiseach were redeployed to work in the SCU (i.e. 9 of the 15 staff – shaded in the table below).
The provenance of all staff assigned to the SCU is detailed in the table below:
Provenance of staff assigned to the SCUDirector / Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from Fáilte Ireland
Principal Officer / Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the National Shared Services Office
Assistant Principal Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
Assistant Principal Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from another communications role in the Department of the Taoiseach
Assistant Principal Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from another communications role in the Department of the Taoiseach
Assistant Principal Officer / Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the Department of Health
Higher Executive Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from the Citizens’ Assembly
Higher Executive Officer (equivalent) / Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from Fáilte Ireland
Administrative Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
Administrative Officer / Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the Department of Health
Administrative Officer / Seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Executive Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
Executive Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
Executive Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from the GIS
Executive Officer / Redeployed to the SCU from another communications role in the Department of the Taoiseach
TOTAL STAFF / 15
All staff assigned to the SCU - with the exception of the two staff members seconded from Fáilte Ireland and Department of the Taoiseach staff redeployed to work in the Unit – responded to a cross-civil and public service request for expressions of interest and interviewed for their roles. No posts vacated by Department of the Taoiseach staff redeployed to the SCU were back-filled (i.e. there was no net additional pay costs incurred by the Department in respect of these staff).
Programmed Budget Profile
Strategic Communications Unit Budget Breakdown 2018Campaigns to date / Media / Production Estimate / Sub total
Healthy Ireland / 207,508 / 25,000 / 232,508
Global Ireland / 301,000 / 200,000 / 501,000
Education Action Plan / 10,500 / 0 / 10,500
Bliain Na Gaelige / 3,758 / 0 / 3,758
Self Employed / 58,512 / 25,000 / 83,512
Irish Aid / 1,750 / 0 / 1,750
Project Ireland 2040 launch / 497,271 / 220,000 / 717,271
Sub Total / 1,550,299
Campaigns Planned [1]
Project Ireland 2040 Strand roll out / 500,000
National 'Brexit Ready' Campaign / 250,000
Disability / 50,000
Irelands bid for UN Security Council / 100,000
Legislation 2018 / 10,000
Healthy Ireland Phase II / 250,000
Slainte Care Vision / 150,000
National Children's Hospital / 200,000
Global Ireland / 300,000
Sustainability & Climate / 150,000
Rebuilding Ireland / 100,000
Budget 2019 / 100,000
Cost Recovery from Depts. / -600,000
Sub total / 1,560,000
Campaigns Vat / 715,369
Projects Budget
Gov.ie / 750,000
Research Programme / 150,000
CPD Programme / 100,000
Identity Programme / 120,000
Sub total / 1,120,000
Total Forecast / 4,945,668
Contingency / 54,332
Total Budget Allocation / 5,000,000
Requests for Tender
In total 6 tenders for external specialist advice have issued and been awarded. These relate to the provision of research and insight services, digital media creative services, integrated creative and digital campaign services, marketing pitch specialist services, media strategy planning and buying services, brand identify and design services.
The Requests for Tender for Media Strategy, Planning and Buying specified that theorganisational objectives were to simplify of Government communications and to increase efficiencies across the public sector when dealing with the Irish public.
Requests for Tenders for other services commissioned by SCU included communications objectives to:
•Generate awareness of the work of Government as a single entity
•Increase customer awareness of the full range of Government services, including those that are most relevant to them.
•Improve interaction with Government services such as increase sign-up to, adoption of, participation in given services, programmes or initiatives.
Expenditure to Date
Because the SCU was established in Q3 2017, provision was not made for it in the 2017 Estimates of the Department of the Taoiseach. Any expenditure incurred by the SCU from September to December 2017 was met from the Department’s administrative budget (Subhead A2 (iii) – Training and Development and Incidental Expenses).
In Budget 2018, provision was made in the Department’s 2018 Estimates for an increase in the administrative non-pay budget of €5m to be made available to the SCU.
Expenditure for 2017 and up to end February 2018 by the SCU is detailed in the table below:
SCU Expenditure2017 / Up to end February 2018
Non-Pay (€,000) / Non-Pay (€,000)
50 / 133
The total estimated liabilities to date in 2018 (exclusive of media buying for Project 2040 currently on hold) are of the order of €2.2million (including VAT).
Project Ireland 2040 Commitments and Estimated Liabilities
The original media spend for the 2040 campaign was estimated at €1,427,608 (excluding VAT). A number of planned media arrangements are on hold. In the context of a scaled back campaign, some of the committed funding for media space may be reallocated for the purposes of alternative campaigns. €497,271 (excluding VAT) liabilities havealready been incurred. This is included in the €2.2m figure referred to above.
Governance
Strategic Communications Unit
The Director of the Unit reports to the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach.
Civil Service Management Board (CSMB)[2]
In establishing the SCU and its proposed objectives, it was noted specifically by Government that the Unit would be overseen by a high level working group chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach. It was also noted that by Government that the public/civil service unit would do no party political work.
The mechanism for oversight is a subcommittee of Secretaries General from the CSMB which acts as a high-level working group chaired by the Secretary General to the Government. The Group meets at regular intervals to oversee the work of the unit. There have been two meetings of the CSMB communications sub-group and it was planned that it would continue to meet at regular intervals to oversee the work programme.
The CSMB communications sub-group is working on ways to measure, record and report on the savings and benefits of the work f the SCU as part of the programme of work for 2018.
Assistant Secretary Delivery team
An Assistant Secretary Delivery Team has been convened to lead the implementation of these activities, which works collectively to ensure cross-Government co-operation. This group has met three times to date to advance the work across Government.
Project ireland 2040
Project Ireland 2040 was one of a number of cross-government campaigns approved by Government in December 2017. It encompasses the Government’s National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework.
The campaign was to include multiple communication channels including print, digital and other media and advertising channels.
Claims made regarding Project 2040 Content in Print Media
Amongst the claims made were that:-
- There was a concerted effort to use Fine Gael candidates for election in images used in the advertising material.
- SCU staff directed or pressurised newspaper editors to portray advertorials as news content. Specific claims incuded:-
- “Instructions given to regional newspapers to present government-sponsored advertorials as normal editorial content”.
- “....promotional paid content commissioned and made to look like regular news content as part of the Ireland 2040 are paid for by the SCU”
- “Campaigns for Ireland 2040 ...... involved Mediaforce, a media agency, instructing newspapers not to mark publicly funded advertising as advertorial”
Guidance on content and branding
Arrangements for the relevant media partnerships were undertaken with the assistance of one principal contractor (PHD) which in turn contracted Mediaforce and Independent News and Media (INM) to deliver the media partnerships with regional print media. The SCU had no direct contact with regional media organisations.
The SCU worked with other Government Departments to compile packs for each media organisation including an overall introduction to Project Ireland 2040 and a list of selected regionally relevant facts from the document. These packs were sent to PHD on 16th. PHD subsequently distributed these packs to Mediaforce (34regional titles - 35 separate spreads) and INM (10regional titles – 16 separate spreads).
SCU Directions to PHD
- SCU provided the Project Ireland 2040 pack[3] to PHD on 16th February with the commentary:-
There is a pack per region and also an overall summary….. the appropriate logos are at the following links hhtps://we.tl/eNckMq8rbv
- SCU reiterated the requirement to PHD on 22nd February :-
Could you please ensure that ALL media partnerships for Project Ireland 2040 clearly identified as partnership, with the inclusion of the following line:
“….in partnership with Project Ireland, an initiative of the Government of Ireland.”
- SCU reiterated the requirement to PHD again on 23rd February:-
“Needs to be clearly labeled Government of Ireland as per previous email”
As regards the provision of spokespersons, the Department advised PHD and other partners that it was not in a position to provide spokespersons for the purposes of content and that requests for spokespersons would be referred to the Government Press Office or the Press Office of the relevant Minister in the normal way.
PHD directions to MEDIAFORCE
- Mediaforce outlined its understanding of the arrangement to PHD on 14th February as follows:-
Thanks for your call yesterday evening confirming the above is going ahead in all the titles as proposed.
As discussed, we will roll these out as soon as we can from next week (w/c Feb 19).
I would suspect we should, assuming we get the word documents on each area at 2pm on Friday, that we could cover off the papers that come out on Wednesday Feb 21, Thursday Feb 22 and Friday Feb 23 next week with the following week covering the Tuesday papers (which would appear on Feb 27).
As you outlined, the papers would run as follows:
• A DPS next week or the following week which covers the content of the National Development Plan
·This will be paid for and thus should be listed as being ‘In Partnership with the Government of Ireland’ or ‘In Association with the Government of Ireland’
·This content should be written by the local paper with the tone of the paper and covering elements that will be interesting to the readers of the paper
Obviously we will send you hard and soft copies of all activity when it has run. I am also happy to share a selection of spreads to begin with to ensure we are on the right track – pre print.
It would be useful for us if you could send any logos (such as Govt logo or anything else that is needed) so I can send each title everything they need at the beginning. That way there will be no delays, I can have my conversation with each editor and they will have all the tools/info they need to complete this task.
- PHD provided the relevant material and logos to Mediaforce on 16th February with the following comment:-
Please find attached an executive summary covering the national development plan which launched today. Everything is included in the full plan but this should hopefully make it more digestible. Furthermore, we have this broken down by multiple counties and regions and I have included these as well. If you feel that anything is missing, please let me know.
We will also follow up later with some images[4]but you may well have these already yourself.
MEDIAFORCE Directions to its titles
- Mediaforce contacted its titles on the 19th February – this email has been quoted from selectively in the media. The full email as provided by Mediaforce to the Department is attached at Appendix 1. The following points should be noted.
- The branding requirements are reiterated in the email:-
“In terms of strapline - attached is an idea of how this should look[5].
It should read National Development Plan in partnership with the Government of Ireland - you should be able to get the logo from department website.
This will clearly illustrate to readers that this is a Govt initiative.”
This suggests the intention to be clear that this is recognisable as “paid for” content.
- Mediaforce have drawn our attention to the fact that email was directed to the advertising departments of the relevant titles. Given the requirement to “localise” the content the email also acknowledges the possible need for editorial input.
“In terms of the editorial - Dessie is sending this now. The idea is that this willnot be a copy and paste job from the document. More that the points in it, in relation to your area, should be enhanced somewhat. It's a guide to take your readers through what the plan means for them (and so needs some editorial team back up to finesse the message). The pieces and articles should fit with the tone of your papers - that's what got this over the line. Some of you will notice the same piece may cover 3 or 4 counties ... This emphasises more why we need some editorial input to really localise the message for your readers.”
- There was also absolute clarity, that the newspaper would separately have editorial content on the plan itself “As mentioned, I do (and the client too) appreciate that you will cover what this plan means for your locale independently on your pages this week – but that will fall outside of these two pages. The idea is that within these pages – the plan for your area should be laid out clearly and concisely….”
As part of the Review, the author, contacted a number of editors separately (see below). In that context, a copy of the direction received by one of the editors via their advertising department was provided to the Department. This varies from the version provided by Mediaforce. It is attached at Appendix 2. Notably, this version of the email contains the following line:-
This will clearly illustrate to readers that this is a Govt initiativeand negate the need to have ADVERTORIAL on the page etc.”Mediaforce were advised of the discrepancy on 23/3 and asked for their comments. A response has not been received at the time of writing.
PHD Directions to Independent News and Media Ireland
- PHD entered into a contractual agreement with Independent News and Media Ireland in respect of editorial content partnership “to cover in depth Ireland 2040”. Extract of the Editorial and Online Content Agreement is attached at Appendix 3[6]. The contract specified as follows:-
- “INM will explain the contents of the plan and its impact on real lives in an editorial partnership……..
- Editorial independence will be maintained at all times…….
- IMN will at all times maintain its journalistic and editorial independence……
- The content will not be sent for prior approval…...
- The content will be distinguished from regular journalistic content and badged “Ireland 2040 – Editorial partnership” with agreed logos.”
- INM have confirmed that the provisions agreed in the written contract with PHD were communicated orally internally with an emphasis on editorial. It also said as per contract that any content would be identified as “in partnership ……“ etc. The content for regional newspapers was prepared centrally. It was deliberately not prepared as part of the normal newsroom operations. A separate team was commissioned to prepare this copy in line with the contractual arrangements based on the material provided by the Department of the Taoiseach via PHD.
Newspaper editors
The editors of the 4 relevant newspapers were asked whether they had been pressurised to promote local candidates for election using photographs and quotes. These were selected based on specific claims made in respect of these newspapers due to the approach to branding/content:-